Australian government says it is hacking criminals who are exploiting the pandemic

As governments around the world consider their options for cracking down on scammers exploiting the coronavirus pandemic, Australia is touting a muscular approach in cyberspace. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) “has mobilized its offensive cyber capabilities to disrupt foreign cyber criminals responsible for a spate of malicious activities during COVID-19,” the Australian defense ministry said in a statement Tuesday. The ASD, the country’s lead agency for hacking operations, has “already successfully disrupted activities from foreign criminals by disabling their infrastructure and blocking their access to stolen information,” Australian Minister of Defense Linda Reynolds said. “Some of these cybercriminals have even posed as health officials in an attempt to exploit vulnerable Australians, by infecting their computers with malware and stealing their private information.” COVID-19-related scams and phishing attempts targeting people around the world have surged in recent weeks as criminals and spies prey on people’s health fears. In Australia, a consumer […]

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Trump’s national security adviser warns Canadians against Huawei 5G tech

A top White House official warned Canadians this weekend against allowing China-based Huawei to help in building out Canada’s next generation 5G telecommunications networks. “The technology allows China to put together profiles of the most intimate details, intimate personal details, of every single man, woman and child in China,” President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, said at the Halifax International Security Forum, according to CBC News. “When they get Huawei into Canada or other Western countries, they’re going to know every health record, every banking record, every social media post; they’re going to know everything about every single Canadian,” O’Brien said. Given that China has a law that would require Chinese companies to yield to Chinese intelligence agencies’ requests, the Trump administration and lawmakers are concerned that Beijing could use Huawei and other Chinese-based companies for spying. O’Brien threatened that Canadian-U.S. intelligence-sharing could be affected if Canada goes through […]

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U.S., UK, Australia to ask Facebook to delay message encryption

The fight between law enforcement and tech companies over encryption is about to enter another round. The U.S. government, along with the support of Australia and the U.K., has written a letter asking Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to delay adding encryption to its messaging services until the company can ensure that the security feature won’t be a detriment to public safety. The letter, a copy of which has been seen by CyberScoop, is signed by U.S. Attorney General William Barr and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan. U.K. Home Secretary Priti Patel and Australian Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton have also reportedly signed the letter. The letter, dated Oct. 4, states that if Facebook adds encryption by default to its messaging services, it will hinder law enforcement’s ability to find illegal activity that takes place on the services. BuzzFeed News was the first to report on the letter’s […]

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Five Eyes nations demand access to encrypted messaging

The alliance wants tech companies to build backdoor access to users’ encrypted data, by force if necessary. Continue reading Five Eyes nations demand access to encrypted messaging

The Australian Signals Directorate’s Essential Eight Maturity Model: Down Under’s Security Guide

The Australian Governments’ Australian Signals Directorate has released an updated version of the 5 Eyes Member country’s Essential Eight Maturity Model. Today’s Must Read.
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Australia passes world’s first law authorizing encryption backdoors

Australia’s Parliament on Thursday passed the world’s first law requiring technology companies to give law enforcement officials access to encrypted messages and communications. The law authorizes police to compel companies to create a security vulnerability, often called a backdoor, that would give investigators access to an individual’s communication without that person’s knowledge. It marks a major milestone in the so-called “crypto wars” over the public’s ability to “go dark” via the powerful encryption available on commercial devices. Authorities in Australia, U.S., and U.K. for years have argued such access is necessary to help police combat encryption in modern technology that protects them from traditional interception techniques. Privacy advocates, technologists and businesses including Apple have criticized the Australian bill and similar proposals elsewhere, saying such plans would introduce portals for government abuse and malicious hackers alike. Companies that fail to obey the law risk being fined. “This ensures that our national security […]

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Five Eyes Cybersecurity Agencies Release Report on Hacking Tools

The national cybersecurity agencies of the United States, U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, known in the intelligence world as the Five Eyes, have released a joint report on five publicly available hacking tools that are widely used in cyberatt… Continue reading Five Eyes Cybersecurity Agencies Release Report on Hacking Tools

Tech companies unite against Australia’s encrypted data demands

The US is not the only country asking tech giants to allow access to encrypted customer data for fear of terror attacks. In the following weeks, Australia’s parliament will cast votes on proposed data encryption legislation that requires companie… Continue reading Tech companies unite against Australia’s encrypted data demands

The Shared Security Weekly Blaze – Five Eyes Security Alliance, Google and Your Offline Purchases, Privacy by Default in Firefox

This is the Shared Security Weekly Blaze for September 10, 2018 sponsored by Security Perspectives – Your Source for Tailored Security Awareness Training and Assessment Solutions and Silent Pocket.  This episode was hosted by … Continue reading The Shared Security Weekly Blaze – Five Eyes Security Alliance, Google and Your Offline Purchases, Privacy by Default in Firefox

Governments demand companies allow access to data, or else

A decades-old alliance of national intelligence partners promised to get at encrypted data last week, whether tech companies helped them or not. Continue reading Governments demand companies allow access to data, or else